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President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday he will nominate Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas, to be the United States ambassador to Israel.
“Mike has been a great public servant, Governor, and Leader in Faith for many years,” Trump said in a statement. “He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about Peace in the Middle East!”
Huckabee’s appointment elevates a foreign policy neophyte to one of the most important, and sensitive, diplomatic postings within the U.S. government. Huckabee has never held a diplomatic or national security role within any U.S. administration, though has met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before and was reportedly considered for the top U.S. diplomatic post in Israel in 2016.
Huckabee is a vocal supporter of Israel who throughout his political career has framed his support for the U.S. ally in terms of his evangelical faith. He has supported the Israeli government’s efforts to expand settlements in the West Bank. More recently, he has also opposed efforts to reach a cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, saying in June that the U.S. has “no valid reason” to support a deal between the two sides.
Palestinians likely won’t see the U.S. boost their cause under Huckabee. During his 2008 presidential campaign, he claimed “there’s really no such thing as a Palestinian.” Huckabee expressed similar sentiments in 2015, telling The Washington Post: “The idea that they have a long history, dating back hundreds or thousands of years, is not true.”
It is unlikely that Huckabee will face a tough confirmation battle. Huckabee, who at one point hosted a Fox News show and is the father of rising GOP star and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, will likely face little resistance from his fellow Republicans.
Huckabee’s appointment comes as Trump has rolled out a series of national security and diplomatic cabinet positions over the past two days. On Monday, he announced Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) would be his national security adviser and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) would be nominated to be his ambassador to the United Nations. He is also set to announce Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who was on his shortlist of potential running mates, as the Trump administration’s Secretary of State. Like Huckabee, all are seen as supporters of Israel.
